Viggo Mortensen to Play the Villain in Superman Reboot?

Film roles that are sure things when it comes to garnering mass attention, and likely acclaim, are rare things in Hollywood. Though since Christopher Nolan’s fantastical, yet grounded take on Batman, comic book roles have been seen as more than just the chance to play guys in tights, but characters that have much more depth than many previously thought.

This is why those working on the most recent iteration of Superman (which is produced by Nolan,) seems to be having a field day being able to pull whatever names they like out of their potential choices, and feel confident that they’ll never have to just settle.

With young, British hotshot Henry Cavill (Stardust) already signed on to play the Man of Steel in the Zack Snyder helmed reboot, more casting rumours have begun to rise, including the potential casting of Clark Kent’s adoptive father on earth.

Now every superhero film needs a great villain, and it looks like that’s where the team is looking next, as they seem to be taking the same road as Nolan did in Batman Begins, bringing on a somewhat lesser known villain, leaving arch-rival Lex Luthor to likely appear in the inevitable sequel.

The Hollywood Reporter has brought it to the public’s attention that Viggo Mortensen is at the top of the list to star in the would-be blockbuster as General Zod. The character is a megalomaniacal Kryptonian who was in charge of the military forces back on Krypton, and also has connections to Jor-El, Superman’s biological father. The idea of using such a character as the main villain makes complete sense, especially as it touches on Superman’s roots, and really allows for an all out origin story to be told, reigniting the franchise in full.

At the moment, however, Mortensen is still in negotiations to play the Huntsman in Universal’s Snow White and the Huntsman. While negotiations could still fall through, or some sort of deal between the studios may allow for Mortensen to do both films, this could come down to which role the actor covets more. Just because General Zod may be one of the hottest tickets in town, Mortensen has never seemed the type of guy to look at how well a film will do as the reason for choosing a part.

While Zod would bring the most recognition to the actor since his Lord of the Rings days, when I heard about the Hunstman film, Mortensen’s potential involvement piqued my interest and made it a movie I’d definitely see over a one that I’d wait and see on. That said, hopefully some sort of deal can be struck, as I believe Mortensen has been underutilized in Hollywood since his breakthrough performance in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy, and both films would prosper from his involvement.

What do you think about this casting choice? Which film would you rather see Mortensen in? Are you happy to hear that General Zod will be the villain of the Man of Steel reboot? Sound off below!

About The Author

Brendan Campbell

Brendan Campbell was here when Inside Pulse Movies began, and he’ll be here when it finishes - in 2012, when a cataclysmic event wipes out the servers, as well as everyone else on the planet other than John Cusack and those close to him. Brendan’s the #1 supporter of Keanu Reeves, a huge fan of popcorn flicks and a firm believer that sheer entertainment can take a film a long way. He currently resides in Canada, where, for reasons stated above, he’s attempting to get closer to John Cusack.

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